Fenced-off areas at each end of the Cypress Creek Bridge are for utility relocations, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

The rebuilding of the bridge is still on track to be advertised for construction bids in late spring, VDOT spokesman Timothy Kelley said.

There will be lane closures during the utility work, though no set schedule has been established. According to Kelley, the closures will depend on the individual utility companies and their portion of the work. The utility work is anticipated to last until spring.

Once construction begins, the bridge will be reduced to a single travel lane, with two-way traffic maintained via a temporary traffic signal. The work, which was estimated at $7 million as of 2020, will entail replacing the beams and deck in the first three spans of the bridge, as well as one additional beam.

The bridge work was originally set to begin this fall but was postponed to 2023 due to delays related to the relocation of utilities.

Randy Pack, co-owner of the Smithfield Station restaurant, hotel and marina adjacent to the west end of the bridge, said the fenced-off areas and planned utility work is already affecting his business.

“It reduces our parking by close to 50 parking spots. … It’s a big impact,” Pack said. “We saw the impact over Labor Day weekend.”

Pack anticipates the nearly two years of bridge work starting next spring will also impact his business.

“It’s definitely causing a slowdown,” he said.